Abraham Lincoln is considered the best president of the United States of America by historians and by American citizens. This is because, thanks to his determination and cunning, he achieved the abolition of slavery. His biggest challenge was to keep the country together despite disagreements on the issue of slavery.
Today we will know a little about the life of Abraham Lincoln. We will learn about his political career, his struggle to abolish slavery and his role in the Civil War. Lincoln, a man who inspired the American freedom struggle, still remains in the hearts of its citizens.
Echoing the words of Abraham Lincoln in the Gettysburg Address honoring the fallen for the freedom of slaves we can say that:
“The world will hardly notice or remember for a long time what is said here, but it can never forget what they did on this site.”
Undoubtedly, the freedom of slaves in the United States of America marked a before and after for the world. The vocation for freedom of this country was spread through the world. Although slavery is still happening today, the world no longer sees it as acceptable.
Abraham Lincoln was a product of his time, but in turn it was his determination that made the freedom of slaves possible. But his other big challenge was to maintain the unity of the United States. Today we will discover how he achieved both challenges with great intelligence.
Let’s get to know a little about Abraham Lincoln’s life.
Table of Contents.
Who was Abraham Lincoln?
Abraham Lincoln was a prominent American politician who will always be remembered for the abolition of slavery. A lawyer by profession, Lincoln understood that civil rights were the cornerstone for building the country that the founding fathers planned.
Lincoln was born in Hodgenville, Kentucky and was raised between Indiana and Kentucky. His parents were Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hawks. They married when Lincoln’s father was 28 and his mother was 22.
Although Abraham Lincoln did not adhere to any religion, his religious upbringing at home is noticeable in his speeches and in the values he upheld. His parents were Baptist Christians, and this marked the way he looked at life. His knowledge of the Bible was profound. In his speeches he used biblical quotations to convey his ideas.
Young Abraham
As we mentioned, his upbringing was strongly marked by the religion of his parents Thomas and Nancy. His Baptist roots can be seen in his egalitarian vocation and the need to give freedom to all human beings.
Already a little older, he was hired by family friends to drive a barge carrying merchandise. His travels took him to New Orleans along the so-called “sugar coast.” During those trips along the Mississippi River he was able to come into contact with the misery of the people. Abraham Lincoln understood this situation because his youth had passed during his family’s poverty.
When he was hired to take care of a warehouse, he discovered that he needed to educate himself. Being an independent man, he realized everything he needed to learn. He handled reading, writing, and math rudiments, but he longed to know much more. Thus began a self-taught process that continued while he was enlisted in the U.S. Army.
He subsequently had a successful political career. It was partially truncated by the U.S. Intervention in Mexico, and we will talk about it next.
Abraham Lincoln ‘s political career
During the beginning of his political career, Lincoln was affiliated with the Whig Party of the United States. Representing this he was elected state legislator in Illinois for 4 periods. He was subsequently elected as a deputy to the United States Congress for the state of Illinois.
With an enviable political trajectory, the Division of the Whig Party regarding the U.S. Intervention in Mexico translated into instability. The victory of the United States in Mexico resulted in the weakening of the Whig party and its dissolution.
This put Abraham Lincoln’s political career on hold and delayed attempts to abolish slavery. The southern states aspired to expansion into Mexico to increase their power and increase the territories where slavery was legal.
Although for a few years Lincoln would remain in the exercise of the right, his political capital would increase. In a few years he would try again first as a candidate for the vice presidency in the internal elections and shortly after in elections for the presidential race. But his career would be surrounded by great tensions around the issue of the abolition of slavery.
The Struggle for the Abolition of Slavery
The struggle for the abolition of slavery was already several years on the table. It all began with the declaration of war on Mexico, for defending the lands that belonged to it, it began in 1946. The war was supported by the Democrats who considered it their destiny to expand the territory of the United States. It was also supported by the slavers of the South to increase its power and maintain slavery. By that time, the legality of slavery was beginning to be rejected.
This is how the Mexican-American War delayed the abolition of slavery and gave strength to the Democratic Party and the slavers of the South.
However, the dissolution of the Whig Party and the birth of the Republican Party gave new hope.
Abraham Lincoln ‘s Presidential Race to Abolish Slavery
With the birth of the Republican Party, of which Abraham Lincoln was the founder, a new opportunity opened up to fight slavery.
Lincoln’s proposed government program proposed the abolition of slavery and with it tensions were rising along with support for Lincoln.
Emancipation Proclamation
Taking as a pretext the separation of the states, Lincoln decreed the emancipation of the slaves in those territories recovered by the union army.
This is how the advance of the United States army meant the liberation of thousands of slaves. It is estimated that this resulted in the liberation of 3.5 million slaves.
This proclamation was a presidential order issued by Abraham Lincoln that would later be reaffirmed with the thirteenth amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
Victory was not easy, but thanks to Lincoln’s political ability, his involvement in the conflict, and the political ability of General Ulyses S. Grant, the United States became a country beginning to free itself from the shame of slavery.